Mining machine



Dec. 1, 1931.

c. A. PRATT 1,834,533

MINING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l jaw/$1 C.A. PRATT MINING MACHINE Dec. 1, 1931.

five/770,

gar 4 910% 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 19

Patented Dec, 1, 1931 CHARLES MINING ivrsoniivn Application filedDecember 19, 1923, Serial No; 326,973. Renewed February 18,1931.

This invention relates to improvements in mining machines and has forits principal obj ectto provide a means for deflecting the cuttingsfrom'the path of the cutter bar in a machine of the arcwall or slabbingtype adaptable to out at ortnear the mine bottom. Heretofore, machinesof the slabbing or arcwall type have'been provided with'a dependingcutter bar which cuts at or near the y I s mine bottom.

along the coal face in that the cutter chain has to-cut through theloose cuttings discharged from said cutter'chain which increases boththe load on the cutter chain and the power required to feedthe cutter'bar 20 across the coal face. This slowsidown the speed of cutting,andrequires-the use of more power than would benecessary if a meanswereprovided to clear the: cuttings fromthe advance side of the cutterbar. V

Prior to my invention, the only means of removing the cuttings fromahead of the-cutter bar was byhand shoveling. This-has proved to be avery dangerous and impractical methodofremoving said cuttings due to3athe closeproximity of the shoveler to the cutter bits and due to the,fact that the cutter rhain discharges the cuttings from the kerf fasterthan can be handled by one man and the additional fact th'atthere isusually inw 35 sufficient room for two men to safely Work ahead of saidcutter ban i v The purpose of my invention is to provide a guide meanson the advance and rearward side of the cutter chain through whichthe 4ccuttings may be moved by the cutter chain and expelled on the'retreatingside of the machine. thus eliminating the useof man power to perform theoperation. p p I My invention may be more clearly understood withreference to the following draw- Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentaryplan View of a mining machine of the slabbing type showing the detailsof my invention;

Figure 8 .is' an enlarged fragmentary side elevation ofthe mining;machine shown in Figure 1 cutting a kerf in a mine wall above the minebottom and having the device embodying my invention thereon; Y e

F igure 4+. is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the m ninginachiue shown 1111' Figure 1 cutting kerf in a mine wall along themine: bottom having the devic-e embodying my invention thereon; r Figure5, isa sectional view taken on line 5+5of'Figure 4; and

' Figure (3 is a sectional view ta en on line v6-.6 of; Figure 3'withparts broken away to more clearly show the details of my invention.I v TInthe embodiment of my inve-ntionasillustrated, my inventionisishown as applied to a. mining machine. 1 of the slabbing. type whichis adapted to cut a kerfin a mine Wall at the mine bottom or at variouselevations with respect tosaidmine bottom. The min- 1 ing machine hereinillustrated is similar to that shown in an application bearing SerialNumber 157,005 filed by VVilliam'T; Mc- Cullough, -Decemben25,'1926, andwill not herein be described in detail excepting as to parts whichpertain particularly to my invening a turntable 3 thereon whichturntable in turrrhas'a cutting 'element t trunnioncd thereon near theforward portion of said turntable. a a

The cutting element 4 has acutter head 5 depending therefrom andvertically adj ustable with respect thereto in guides66. A

threaded shaft 7 driven loya motor 8 on the rearward P01131011 ofthecutting element 4 in a suitable nannernotherein described is providedtomove the cutter head 5 in the guides G6. A cutter bar '9 fext'endslongitudinally forward from the cutter head 5 and is provided withguides 10'for receiving a cutter chain 11 whichis movable thereabout. VThe cutter chain 11 is driven by a sprocket 12 from, the motor 8, in itsvarious positions of adjustment with respect to the cutting ele- A.PRATT, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ass enon' 'ro GOODMANMANUFACTUYRINGCOMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOISLA CORPORATION or I'LLIuors r ment througha suitable gear train which will not herein be described since it is nopart of my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the .novel feature of my invention,an arcuate arcuate guide 15 extends rearwardly from the forward portionof the cutter head 5 on the advancing side of the machine around therearward portion of the cutter chain 11 and sprocket 12 and opens to theretreating side of said machine as is illustrated in Figure 2.

An adjustable deflector 16 overlaps .a portion of the arcuate guide 15and extends forwardly therefrom along the cutter bar 9 to a pointadjacent the face of the coal during a. normal cutting operation. Thedeflector 16 is vertically adjustable so as to engage the mine bottomwhen the cutter bar 9 is cutting on the mine bottom or above said minebottom, and is supported on a plurality of bolts 17 17 having nutsthereon which are slidable in guides 18, 18, in a member 19 attached toa cutter bar supporting member '20 by any suitable means in a mannerwell known to the art, as for instance, rivets or nuts and The forwardand rearward levers 26 are connected together 'by' means of levers 29,29,

fixed on the respective shafts 27 and 28 at right angles to the levers26, 26, and connected together at their outer extremities by Ineans'of aconnecting rod 30. 1

A hand lever 31 is fixed on the shaft 28 at right angles'to the lever 26to move the levers 26, 26, about their axes and thus to raise or lowerthe adjustable deflector 16 through the connecting links 25, 25. 1Asector plate 32 projects upwardly from the member 19 and has a pluralityof holes 33, 33, therein. A pin 34 is adaptable to pass through a holein the hand lever 31 and any one of the holes 33 in the sector plate 32to hold the hand lever 31 in a fixed position with respect to saidsector plate and thus hold the adjustable deflector 16 in a fixedposition with respect to the cutter bar 9 so said deflector may beheldin engagement with the mine bottom when said cutter bar is at variousheights with respect to said mine bottom. p

From the fore-going descriptien it will be seen that when the deflector16 and the a-rcuate guide 15 are in engagement with the mine bottom, acontinuous cuttings passageway from the mine face to the discharge orretreating side of the cutter head 5 is formed which is closed on theadvance side of the machine and open on the retreating side of themachine. With this arrangement, when the cutter bar 9 is cutting a kerfin the coal face movement of the cutter chain 11 about the cutter bar 9will move the cuttings through said passageway and eject said cuttingsfrom the side of the machine opposite to which the entire machine ismoved during the cutting operation, and that no cuttings can get intothe path. of movement of the cutter head 5 or cutter bar 9.

It may also be seen that when the cutter bar 9 is cutting above the minebottom, as for instance when the cutter bar is cutting out a band ofimpure coal or dirt at the bottom of the coal seam, and it is desired tocut into said impurities just below said coal seam that they adjustabledeflector 16 (see Figure 3) may engage the mine bottom to prevent thecuttings from getting in the path of the cutter head 5 orcutter bar 9,and the arcuate guide 15 will guide said cuttings so they may beexpelled at the retreating side of the cutter head 5 beyond the path ofsaid cutter head.

Although I. have shown and described one form in which my invention maybe embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and thearrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing fromthe spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construedas limiting myself to the specific embodiment :illustrated 1n thedrawings, excepting as it may be limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted tocut a kerf adj acent the mine bottom, and means for expelling thecuttings discharged from said cutter bar beyond said machine on theretreating side thereof comprising a closure member closing the advanceside of the machine from a point substantially adjacent the mine facewhen said cutter bar is sumped thereunder thence rearwardly along saidcutter bar and around the rearward end thereof opening to the re- Itreating side of said cutter bar.

2. In combination with truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted tocut a kerf along a mine bottom, a cutter chain movable about said cutterbar, and means cooperating with said cutter chain for expelling thecuttings discharged from said cutter chain beyond said machine on theretreating side thereof comprising aclosure member closing the advancesideof the machine from a point substantially adjacent the mine facewhen said cutter bar is sumped thereunder, thence rearwardly along saidcutter bar and around the rearward end thereof openingto the retreatingside of said cutter bar and forming a passage from the mine face alongthe advance side of said cutter bar to the rearward side thereof so thatmovement of said cutter chain I therefrom and adapted to cut a kerfalong a mine bottom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, andmeans cooperating with said cutter chain for expelling the cuttingsdischarged from said cutter chain beyond said machine on the retreatingside thereof comprising a vertically adjustable deflector extendingalong the advance side of said cutter bar for a portion of its length,and an arcuate guide depending from said cutter head and extending fromthe rearward portion of said adjustable deflector around the rearwardportion of said cutter bar to the retreating side thereof.

4. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted toout a kerf'along a mine bottom, means for vertically moving said cutterhead so said cutter barmay cut at various elevations with respect to ,amine bottom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, and meanscooperating with said cutter chain for expelling the cuttings dischargedfrom said cutter chain beyond said machine on the retreating sidethereof comprising a vertically adjustable deflector on the advance sideof said cutter bar extensible from a portion above said cutter bar tothe mine bottom when said cutter bar is cutting a. kerf in the mine wallalong the mine bottom or at a point above said mine bottom and anarcuate guide depending from said cutter head to the mine bottom whensaid cutter bar is cutting along the mine bottom and extendingrearwardly around the rear ward portion of said cutter bar to theretreating side thereof.

5. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted tocut a kerf along a mine bottom, means for vertically moving said cutterhead so said cutter bar may cut at various elevations with respect to amine bottom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, and meanscooperating with said cutter chain for expelling the cuttings dischargedfrom said cutter chain beyond said machine on the retreating sidethereof comprising a member eI-Itending outwardly from above the top'portion of said cutter bar on the advance side thereof, and. avertically adjustable cuttings deflector extensible from said membervertically downward to the mine bottom when the cutter bar is cuttingalong the mine bottom or abovesaid mine bottom. 1

head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted to out aherf along a mine bottom, means for vertically moving said cutter headso said cutter bar may cut at various elevations with respect to-a minebottom, afcutter chain movable about said cutter bar, and meanscooperating with said cutter chain for expelling the cuttings dischargedfrom said cutter chain beyond said machine on the retreating sidethereof comprising a member extending outwardly from above the topportion of said cutter bar on the advance side thereof, and averticallyadjustable cuttings deflector extensible from said membervertically downwardly to the mine bottom whenthe cutter bar'is cuttingalongthe mine bottom or above the mine bottom, and a means forvertically moving said cuttings deflector with respect to said outwardlyextending member.

7. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted tocut a kcrf along a mine bottom, means for vertically moving said cutterhead so said cutter bar may cut at various elevations with respect to amine bottom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, meanscooperating with said cutter chain for expelling the cuttings dischargedfrom said cutter chain beyond said machine on the retreating sidethereof comprising a member extending outwardly from above the topportion of said cutter bar on the advance side thereof, averticallyadjustable cuttings deflector extensible from said membervertically downwardly to the mine bottom when the cutter bar is cuttingalong the mine bottom orabove the mine bottom, t

means for vertically moving said cuttings defiector with respect to saidoutwardly extending member, and an arcuate guide extending from saidvertically adjustable cuttings deflector rearwardly around the rearwardportion of said cutter bar to the retreating side thereof and dependingfrom said cutter head to the mine bottom when said cutter bar is cuttingalong the mine bottom.

8. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a dependingcutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted tocut a kerf adjacent the mine bottom, and means for expelling thecuttings discharged from said cutter bar beyond said machine comprisinga vertically adjustable deflector extending along said cutter bar. i

9. In combination with a truck mounted mining machine having a-dependingcutter 6. In combination'with a truck mounted mining machine having a.depending cutter till head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefromand adapted to cut a kerf'adjacent the mine bottom, and means forexpelling the cuttings discharged from said cutter bar beyond saidmachine comprising a Vertically adjustable deflector extending along theadvance side of said cutter bar.

10. In combination With a truck mounted mining machine having adepending cutter head, a cutter bar projecting forwardly therefrom andadapted to cut a kerf adjacent the mine bottom, a cutter chain movableabout said cutter bar, and means cooperating With said cutter chain forexpelling the cuttings dischar ed from said cutter chain beyond saidmachine on the retreating side thereof comprising a deflector extendingalong the advance side of said cutter bar for aportion of its length andthence rearwardly around the rearward end of said cutter bar and openingto the retreating side thereof rearwardly of said cutter chain.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this10th day of December, A. D. 1928.

CHARLES A. PRATT.

